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Want to know how to answer the EPSO AD numerical test questions? Read on to find out!EPSO Numerical Test Questions
In this blog, we are going to go through one of the most important aspects of the EPSO numerical test for administrator levels. This is one of the easiest mistakes to make which many applicants struggle with.

Take a look at the question below:

In 2010, what was the ratio of GDP in Poland to that in Malta?

Many applicants think that to get to the answer all you need to do is to calculate the ratio of the GDP per head of the two countries, in this case:

Poland: 12,484Malta: 26,861
26,861 / 12,484 = 2.15 which is 1 : 2.15

Easy-peasy right?WRONGYou are asked to calculate the GDP, not the GDP per head. So how are you supposed to answer this question? Looking at the table we don’t have the actual GDP figures so how can we work out 1- what it is and 2- the ratio between the two countries?

Answering the EPSO numerical reasoning questions correctly

What we do know is that in the table we have a column that tells us the expenditure as a percentage of the GDP. We also know how much this was in Euros. How did we calculate the percentage of GDP on expenditure? We have the following equation:
Total GDP × percentage of expenditure (using decimal numbers) = Total expenditure

How to calculate percentages: The easy way

There is a very important point to remember here when calculating percentages. The quickest way to do so is by using a decimal number, i.e. instead of 50% use 50 / 100 = 0.5. Simply understood 50% is half of the original value. There are two ways to calculate this. If for example the number is 100:
100 ÷ 2 = 50
100 × 0.5 = 50

If we use the decimal number then if the percentage gets more complicated we can still use just one calculation to arrive at the true percentage. For example if we want to know 28.5% of 300 we can simply use the decimal number of 28.5%, 0.285 which would give us 300 × 0.285 = 85.5 All you have to remember to do is to move the decimal place to the left by two places, as below.
25 % = 0.25

Answering the Question

As you see:

Total GDP × percentage of expenditure (0.0185) = Total expenditure (13,547)
Since we know two of the figures we can rearrange the formula. By doing so, we will be able to calculate the total GDP. This gives us:
Total GDP = total expenditure ÷ percentage of expenditure
Using this formula we can calculate the total GDP for each of the countries in question.
Poland expenditure: 13 547
Poland expenditure percentage: 1.85%
1.85 % of 13,547 = 13,547 ÷ 0.0185
= 732,270.27

This now gives us the entire equation:
Total GDP (732,270.27€ million) = total expenditure (13,547€ million) ÷ percentage of GDP (0.0185)

Can you work out the rest of the question?

The JobTestPrep Choice

In order to really get comfortable with the EPSO numerical reasoning test, you need to take practice tests in an EPSO exam environment. At JobTestPrep, we offer a number of different preparation packages with questions that can be taken in both a timed and untimed mode. When you take the EPSO tests for real you will be doing so with confidence that you have done everything in your power to fully prepare. We hope you have enjoyed this blog and look forward to helping you in your EPSO test preparation.